Rabies (hydrophobia), La Rabia and animal bites (vaccine-preventable)

Rabies is a viral disease affecting the central nervous system. It is transmitted from infected mammals to humans and is invariably fatal once symptoms appear. Fortunately, only a few cases are reported each year in the United States. Rabies is almost always contracted by exposure to a rabid animal. Exposure is usually through bites and the saliva of an infected animal in contact with broken skin. Scratches from rabid bats could potentially serve as source of infection.